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Thursday, July 24, 2008

We're really excited to bring you our 2nd Tried, Tested and True roundup. Click here for the original event posting. You can find the first roundup by clicking on the banner in the sidebar (near the top of the page).

After the success of our previous event, we knew that we wanted to host a 2nd event and to add some new components to our event.

One addition is a focus on the cause of organ donation. This is a cause that is very important to us. To know more about our connection to organ donation, you can read about Giz's transplant here.

Talking about organ donation is a bit of a tricky topic because in some cases, it can require people to think about their own mortality. Personally, I find that thinking about it from the perspective of how many lives could be saved, makes it a discussion worth having.

How do you become an organ donor?

If organ donation is something you would consider, there are some measures you should take to ensure that your wishes are carried out. Some examples are:

- registering with a state/provincial/local organ donor registry- filling out an organ donor card- indicating your desire to have your organs donated on your license- speak to your family about your wishes

Another new component of this event is the prizes. We're including three prize packages for three entries. Christine Cushing, our celebrity judge for this event, has generously donated some of her products. Prize packages will also include awareness jewellery, donated by Blue Marigold. The neat bit is that you can go on the Blue Marigold website and select your preferred style. More masculine styles are also available.

So - here's the plan. We're sending all of the entries (a picture along with the recipe) to Christine Cushing. She's going to review the entries and pick her top three. The judging criteria can be found here. We'll let you know the results as soon as we get them. For now...without further adu. Here is the roundup of your health-promoting recipes:

Here's the roundup:

Appetizers & Bread

Nicisme from Cherrapeno delivers a crazy colourful Mexican Layered Dip. I so feel like a hat dance just looking at this eye popper that would be wonderful to serve to any guest at any time. How cute are the cut out cacti - great presentation Nic - so pretty.

Our Spanish chica Nuria of Spanish Recipes decided to treat herself with something delicious after becoming a "Daring Plumber". All I can say is look out Daring Bakers. Doesn't this Melon Con Jamon (melon and ham) look like you could just reach in and grab it? Nuria's plumbing story is hysterical - make sure you read it.

Cathy x from Aficionado introduces us to Mojama (pronounced mo-hum-a). You've never heard of it? Really? Don't worry, neither have I - but how intriguing is this recipe that is a tuna carpaccio served with a creamy avocado puree and a variety of complimentary ingredients.

Rajani from Vegetarian in Me introduces us to her dish called Potato Croquettes (with peas, coriander and coconut stuffing. This is the kind of "popper" that would make my tummy smile from the inside.

Lori Lynn from Taste with the Eyes submitted her Artichokes with Fragrant Tomato Sauce. The ingrdients are fresh and simple and when you combine tomatoes with fresh herbs and serve with fun eating artichokes, you definitely have a party.

Ivy from Kopiaste serves a very impressive and beautifully plated Fish Mayonnaise. Never heard of Fish Mayonnaise? I hadn't and was thrilled to see the amount of history and explanation that Ivy put into her post. Pretty amazing!

Nidhi of Charche Chauke Ke (say that 10 times in a row) submits her Spicy Garlic Vegetarian Sausage Bread. I can't even begin to explain the flavours that go into this recipe - you'll have to visit her blog to truly appreciate it. Wondering about the blog name? I was. Translated from Indian it means "discussion about the kitchen". I can almost smell this baking from here and I want some... now.

Dhanggit of Dhanggit's Kitchen shares her recipe for Caramelized Onion and Roasted Tomato Foccacia. I don't think I've seen a foccacia recipe that captures the epitome of big bold flavours in a bread like this one does. This is one of those "to impress" recipes that looks like a total delight to me.

Smita from Smita Serves you Right introduces us to her Whole Grain Brioche. Somehow, when I think of whole grain breads, and trust me I'm not a bread maker, I think of a more dense consistency. Smita's brioche looks totally light and fits the bill for a healthier option.

Salads

Michelle from Greedy Gourmet serves up Roasted Pumpkin, Red Peppers and Onions with a Sweet Balsamic and Mustard Dressing on a Bed of Couscous. WOW - let me hear you say that 10 times. As Michelle says, "it's dead easy, it's vegetarian and it's divine". After all, has she ever steered you wrong?

Kitchenetta from Got No Milk wows with her Jewelled Rice Salad. I can't even imagine this on a table without people going "WOW". I'll bet there's never enough of this salad to go around. Make sure you check out Michelle's blog and learn more about her event "Snack Shots".

Joelen of Joelen's Culinary Adventures shares her version of this incredible Bursting with Blueberries salad. The ingredient list on this salad is entirely drool worthy. If you haven't checked out Joelen's blog or her Culinary Events, they're always interesting and always enourage you to stretch a little to find new ways of doing things.

Ohio Mom from Cooking in Cleveland dishes up a wonderful Pineapple Chicken Salad. A pineapple chicken salad with a honey lime dressing - I'm sure if I close my eyes I can see myself on a beach in Anguila. I just need to order a girly drink with an umbrella in it.

Mains

Ann and Jack our adoptive blogger parents from Redacted Recipes shares a mouth watering recipe for Filet Mignon and Arugula. Ann has always helped us through our blogging uncertainties and has been ever encouraging. You can really see the substance that people are made of when they go the extra mile. If you haven't already, please do make a point of visiting Ann and Jack's blog and see a sample of that "extra mile". You should definitely check out Ann's post as her cousin shares her experience with organ donation. A very heartwarming story indeed.

Grace from A Southern Grace shares this wonderful Mexican Lasagna. Just look at that ooey goodness that's simply loaded with good things. Don't forget about Grace's event Beat the Heat.

Kittie from Kittens in the Kitchen entices us with her Catalan Fish Stew with Spelt Bread. I'm excited about Catalan Stew - it's a dish I've never tried before but you can be sure it's on my hit parade. And the spelt bread - I've looked around for a good spelt bread recipe for a while. My experience has been that the store bought I've always found has been less than enthusing. I can't wait to try this one.

Dee at Choos and Chews is inspiring with her Eggplant, Olive and Red Pepper Lasagna. Who knew there were so many versions of lasagna that can be called the same thing and all taste so different and all have different amounts of fats in them. Wouldn't you just love to reach in and grab some?

Cakelaw from Laws of the Kitchen cooks up a Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry. Adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe, Cakelaw has switched a little here, changed a little there and made this comforting version her own.

Ben who hails from What's Cooking treats us to a taste of his roots with Mexican Pizza. Ben has done a wonderful job of teaching the blogging world about the wonders of Mexican cuisine. You can visualize the sensibilities and passion of the people in this colourful and interesting looking pizza. Check out Ben's I Love Baking event.

Jill, of Simple Daily Recipes and Great Cooks Community, bring Chick Peas and Vegetables. Chalked with power foods, Jill likes to take a breather from meats with satisfying rice pilaf loaded with veggies. Look at those chick peas - beautiful.

Kelly of Sass and Veracity delivers Roasted Swordfish and Mediterranean Vegetables. Kelly's been holding out on us with this Michael Ciarello recipe and finally shares that it's so easy to put together but looks like you've been slaving all day. Go check Kelly's site for more incredible pictures of this mouth watering dish.

Parker who hails from the Vanilla Bean Cafe is a health enthusiast who finds creating healthy dishes a normal part of her daily life. She has shared her Grilled Blackened Scallops. For those who are reaching through their monitors - I've tried, it doesn't work. Parker shares a very touching story of her cousin's ongoing challenge with dialysis. Her cousin doesn't qualify for organ donation but inspite of it all is an inspiration because of her incredible outlook and spirit.

Bellini Valli, the hostess with the mostest from More than Burnt Toast tantalizes us with her BBQ Chicken with Vine Leaves and Goat Cheese. Although she's putting in mega hours working at a camp for children with special needs, her participation with this incredible dish speaks to the power of giving of yourself to others.

Lori at Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness treats us with Cilantro Pesto with Tofu. When somebody calls a dish creamy and dreamy, how is it possible to not pay attention especially when the pesto is combined with cilantro, tofu, cheese and pine nuts. I especially love that her husband didn't even notice the difference between the lower fat version and the regular full fat version.

That Girl from Paved with Good Intentions serves Whole Wheat Lasagna with Broccolini. "Truly from Scratch" showcases That Girl's lighter version of lasagna. She makes her own whole wheat pasta and fills her lasagna with skim ricotta and lower fat turkey sausage and broccolini. I haven't eaten lasagna for ages because of the fat -this I have to try.

Peter at Kalofagas - Greek Food and Beyond showcases his Agapes Spaghetti with Mint. Tomatoes, fresh herbs, olives, olive oil and barely cooked sauce according to Peter are an "intriguing melange of ingredients yet still Greek". Accessible ingredients combined with a healthy pasta choice of multi-grain spaghetti is the kind of entry that symbolizes this challenge.

Glamah of Coco Cooks shares Oven Fried Catfish and Spaghetti Squash. Pretty ingenious how she took a family favourite that originally was fried with spaghetti and changed it up to be oven fried with spaghetti squash.

Ruth of Ruth's Kitchen Experiments made the journey all the way from Northern Ireland with her Pita Sweet Chilli Stir Fry Pizza. How creative is taking a stir fry, putting it on a pita and topping it with cheese. Sounds like a pretty amazing way to trick the vegetable nay sayers into eating their favourite food without even thinking about it being really good for you. Gotta love a creative woman. Also, check out Ruth's weekly Bookmarked Recipes Event.

Adam of Baking with Dynamite treats us to Nalesniki. You may know them as crepes or blintzes. When I hear Nalesniki I definitely hear Polish pancakes that are light and tender. I have these categorized in main dishes and they make a wonderful light main but really, they can be breakfast, dessert and in my family it's a snack too.

Johanna stopped by from Green Gourmet Giraffe to introduce us to this incredible Vegetarian Casoulette. After much research about this traditional French meat centric recipe, she has successfully adapted it to maintain the flavour in a vegetarian adaptation. Kudos for a job well done.

Dessert

Elle at Feeding My Enthusiasms showcases Surprise Banana Muffins with Walnuts and Spelt. Elle ingeniously takes a higher calorie banana muffin and transforms it to not only a lower calorie option but includes a surprise on the inside. These are not your ordinary banana muffins - the calorie steroida are taken out but not the flavour.

Ricki from Diet Dessert and Dogs brings a Decadent Chocolate Pate. Who would belive that the base is avocado and with only 3 other ingredients - how did you do this? Incredible - I'm waiting to see you on Iron Chef.

Sefa from Food is Love baked these divine Low Fat Fudgy Chocolate Brownies. Sefa claims she went from hating even the smell of the kitchen to becoming a loving cook. Her very first cookbook focused on changing up recipes to make them healthier. The combination of the love she puts into her food and her passion for lower fat options is such a winning combination.

Elle from Elle's New England Kitchen delights us with her Cranberry Orange Muffins. Here's what's so interesting about these muffins. Elle took an old recipe, examined it, thought about what she could replace and change to bring down the fat content while maintaining the flavour. She admits they are delicious. Nobody would even know.

Jude from Apple Pie Patispate gives me cause to squeal with her Oolong Tea Ice Cream using an egg free base. What makes this wonderful dessert so special is the fact that there are no egg yolks. It is recommended by doctors that those with compromised immune systems avoid eating raw eggs. I'm thrilled to have this option.

Mansi from Fun and Food put alot of effort into creating a whole new lower fat recipe called Low-Fat Strawberry Vanilla Cake. Tell me that when you look at this, you would for one minute think it isn't sinful.

Michelle from Big Black Dogs dares us with her Power Pucker Kiwi Sorbet. What could be more refreshing than a cool dessert that packs a punch. And if you have people around that don't like sour power - think of the fun you could have.

Deeba from Passionate about Baking quotes that "to eat is a necessity, to eat intelligently is an art". Doesn't that just sum up the whole philosphy of this challenge. Just take a look at these Pistachio Olive Oil Brownies

On a personal note, we would like to thank you all for participating! Great job everyone.

Bravissimo! giz and psychgrad, this was one wonderful event and the participation amazing. Just imagine if we all got together one day and bring our dishes for a party. WOW. That'd be a crazy (in a good way) party.

Wowwwwww, an array of beautiful and healthy recipes gathered together. I must bookmark all of them. Thanks Giz and Psychgrad for organizing this wonderful event and we are waiting for Tried Tested and True Three.

I am blown away by the number and quality of these recipes. Everyone really got behind their dishes and made something happy and delicious. The salads, lasagna, and desserts are all wonderful. Good luck guys.

Hey there Giz & Psyche...beautiful round-up & well-written too. Made for such interesting reading. Loved the bunch of recipes & was busy bookmarking. As Peter rightly says, the rest is now up to CC!!!Cheers

Since we refer to family members, here's a key to clarify who's who

R - Psychgrad's hubby. Is the cook responsible for many of the recipes but usually does not post himself (unless it is to complain about our food obsession or share a dish that he loves -- usually poutine).

E- Practicing her skills as ruler of the world (or her little brother, K).

K - Cool little bro -- biding his time until he's big enough to take down E.

BACFF

The members of BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine have published a cookbook where 100% of the proceeds target children and education through the World Food Programme called School Meals. Purchases can be made by clicking the cookbook cover above.